The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
There are some energizers that you can set the volts. However, you need to have basic charge levels based on the animals you want to keep in and the animals you want to keep out. Most folks use the fences to keep certain predators OUT. I believe there is a minimum voltage chart on Premier based on pred type.

 

[aoxa]

There are some energizers that you can set the volts. However, you need to have basic charge levels based on the animals you want to keep in and the animals you want to keep out. Most folks use the fences to keep certain predators OUT. I believe there is a minimum voltage chart on Premier based on pred type.

Predators aren't an issue with me. Clem has been doing a great job keeping them out.

All I really need to do is keep the turkeys and sheep in, as the turkeys have been scratching the neighbour's cars. That's it.

Or I can't keep the turkeys, but I just adore them, so that is not an option either

 

[Leahs Mom]

Take a look at this: http://nsfa-fane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/electric_fencing.pdf

Page 3...

 

[delisha]

We are very fortunate to have so mny expirenced people on this thread. Most of them brood. So if you are considering using a broody hen, they have tons of information to offer. Each one has experiences that work for them. I am constantly learin from so many every day. It is remarkable of the wealth of information in such a small area.

I wanted to bring up the subject of brooding for a reason. Spring is on the way and many hens are gettting reaady to nest. It is perfect time in there cycle to start laying and getting ready. Many of the more broody hens start laying well and go broody a few months right after they recover from molt. Some breeds and hens do not go broody or they start to set a nest and change there minds.

I bet you wonder why. Most of the chickens that people have in there back yard are production birds, and chicks from production birds. They were bred to lay eggs, not hatch eggs. Just keep the eggs coming. They were culled for going broody. Just the longest egg layers were kept. Eventually the super layer was made. Leghorns.

To be continued after chores...

 

[aoxa]

We are very fortunate to have so mny expirenced people on this thread. Most of them brood. So if you are considering using a broody hen, they have tons of information to offer. Each one has experiences that work for them. I am constantly learin from so many every day. It is remarkable of the wealth of information in such a small area.

I wanted to bring up the subject of brooding for a reason. Spring is on the way and many hens are gettting reaady to nest. It is perfect time in there cycle to start laying and getting ready. Many of the more broody hens start laying well and go broody a few months right after they recover from molt. Some breeds and hens do not go broody or they start to set a nest and change there minds.

I bet you wonder why. Most of the chickens that people have in there back yard are production birds, and chicks from production birds. They were bred to lay eggs, not hatch eggs. Just keep the eggs coming. They were culled for going broody. Just the longest egg layers were kept. Eventually the super layer was made. Leghorns.

To be continued after chores...

Let us discuss some of the very broody breeds.

The broody breeds I have are:
Cochin
Silkie
Game Bantams
and a Barred Rock line that makes good broodies

Stony, we need your input here as well.

 

[loanwizard]

The electric netting for chickens go to 4 ft (48") I think they may have higher for other animal types.

One thing everyone needs to know on the electric fences...you have to keep the ground where it is mowed low so that it doesn't ground out on grass or weeds. That may make a difference for some folks on whether they want to use it. Some use a chemical week killer along the fence lines but since this is a Natural chicken thread probably those here wouldn't want to do that.

It's not that hard to keep the weeds/grass down low where it is but some folks may have areas that they can't take care of like that.

A more natural remedy is heat. I am buying a propane torch at the hardware store this spring or maybe sooner if we get any more ice. You actually apply 2000 degree heat to the weeds then put up the electric fencing. No chemicals. The only chemical used outside the house is sevin dust to treat my outside dogs for fleas.

 

[aoxa]

A more natural remedy is heat. I am buying a propane torch at the hardware store this spring or maybe sooner if we get any more ice. You actually apply 2000 degree heat to the weeds then put up the electric fencing.

Wouldn't that be really expensive?

if you did it before, wouldn't it just grow back?

 

[loanwizard]

It's mostly just to keep them in, not keep other animals out. I don't think I'd even have it on a whole lot.. My grass grows like crazy here. Moving the fence often will be a pain. So I'll probably just do a smaller area for them. Our ground is so hard to put fencing up. There is a lot of gravel under the grass, and it was hard enough to put those plastic fence posts in for a little grow out pen. Not looking forward to that installation! I'm thinking permanent would be a better idea in our situation.

You would be surprised what it keeps out.... my dogs, cat's coon...... it will not keep in 3-4 week old chicks....

 

[JeffOeuf]

Okay, so I took a google earth image of my house. My yard is not perfectly square or perfectly rectangular, so it wouldn't be a straight line by any means. However, it is not extreme either.



Now we are the lot with the drawn in black. Ideally I would LOVE to have a permiter fence all around to keep my LGD a little less likely to escape (as well as my other dogs, and PLEASE let it keep in my cats )

*Note I already have underground electric fence for the dogs, haven't started using it yet, but it's there.. I would love to have reinforcement with the above ground electric as well (mostly on Clem my Great Pyr/Maremma).

I would still like to give them room in the woods to scratch around.. and my neighbours to the left like the chickens visiting them.. Anyway.. So what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't need to be poultry netting, because I don't care to keep the poultry in (other than the huge turkeys - who are bigger than my medium dog).

Also don't want to fence in the front yard, so that takes off .25 of an acre. So just one full acre would be fenced.

Now if I had the fence too close to trees, I think the turkeys may fly to a tree and than over. I don't think they'd just fly clear over the fence..

What's the highest they go?

Okay, here's my opinion, take it for what it's worth. Electric poultry netting (as we've been discussing) would be a poor choice for your perimeter fence. It's designed to be mobile, not permanent (even the one with "perma" in the name). It isn't going to handle weeds or brush well at all, and if I'm looking at your image correctly, you're going to be fencing right at the brush line. It also, according to the manufacturer, should be taken down for winter, working poorly in snow, ice and extremely cold temperatures.

I think 4' tall 4" opening woven wire would make a better perimeter for your turkeys and sheep. Then, if you wanted to separate them, a couple sections of electric netting could be used to sub-divide the pasture.

 

[aoxa]

You would be surprised what it keeps out.... my dogs, cat's coon...... it will not keep in 3-4 week old chicks....

I really want another cat, and if it keeps my only cat left in, then I'll finally be able to get another Maine Coon mix.